Take a trip in SOFII’s time machine: the SOFII history project - introduction and contents

Step into SOFII’s answer to Doctor Who’s TARDIS (if you haven’t seen the BBC’s flagship TV sci-fi epic you’re missing out) and travel back in time to the best fundraising content from years, decades and centuries past. Welcome to SOFII’s history project.

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SOFII

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May 28, 2020

A message from Mark Phillips, founder of Bluefrog.

History really matters, for fundraisers. If you don’t know where you’ve come from you’ll only have a partial picture of where you are and, probably, little clear idea of where you’re going.

‘When I was setting up my agency, Bluefrog, I knew that I had a major challenge ahead of me. Fortunately, I had the wisdom and examples of great fundraisers to draw from. The history of fundraising is a resource I’ve relied upon my entire career, guiding me towards great ideas and inspiring me with what’s gone before. And we fundraisers are very lucky because much of the best learning from our glorious history is only a click or two away. Since its creation, SOFII has been diligently collecting the best case histories and thought pieces from fundraising’s illustrious past. Whether you’re new to the profession or a veteran looking for new inspiration, there’s so much content to drive your creative impulses in SOFII’s history project. I’ve supported it since it started and it’s been a continuous source of revelations for me, as both a contributor and a beneficiary of inspiration, digging up treasures from antiquity or sharing ground-breaking examples of superb campaigns from the Middle Ages to the recent past, via our Victorian forebears. And I’ve only scratched the surface! So please join me in supporting SOFII as it continues to add to this treasure trove. I hope it will inspire you as it inspires me.’

The magic of fundraising’s past is on SOFII!

Being a brilliant fundraiser means knowing your history. From before the time of Jesus, via the great Islamic scholars and East-Asian philosophers to the golden era of Victorian philanthropy, there are countless examples from the past for the modern fundraiser to take inspiration from.

You can walk in the footsteps of giants or stand on their shoulders, take solace and inspiration from the past and, as you do so, know that rather than reinvent the fundraising wheel you are building on the legacy of great campaigns and fundraising experts from times past. Below you will find links to all the great case studies, articles and thought pieces exploring the history of fundraising. Enjoy!

Explore these sections to follow in some mighty footsteps

Treasures from history: a collection of the best fundraising campaigns from throughout the centuries.

Why do people give and how can we persuade them to give more or continue donating? Maybe the answer lies in behavioural science? We’re delighted to be able to share this first Q&A on the topic with Dr Kiki Koutmeridou.

How are donors feeling towards charities and what do they expect from them during the coronavirus crisis? Mark Phillips and Amber Nathan of Bluefrog Fundraising discuss their recent research into this crucial question.

In this conversation, expert legacy fundraiser Richard Radcliffe shares why people leave bequests and what changes he has noticed over the years, particularly as baby boomers have begun to seriously consider which charities they want to remember.